


Sunset Sunrise

by TeddyKrueger



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Gen, I love Chikara, Needed to change that, There aren't enough second-year fics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:13:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24227149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeddyKrueger/pseuds/TeddyKrueger
Summary: Chikara dreamed of the court and of the first time he dug one of Asahi-senpai’s wicked spikes. His core had been tight, his center of balance low, and his arms extended and reinforced just enough to take anything they could smash at him. His excitement burst forward in the form of the loudest cheer he’d given in a long time.He woke with a start, the court fading in his eyes, but not in his memory.-Two years of Chikara feeling like a failure and one year where he finds the light.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	Sunset Sunrise

**Author's Note:**

  * For [yamastarss](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yamastarss/gifts).



> So a late night Discord conversation prompted this fic and my friend itsNationJoy just gave me a quote and told me they'd like a gen fic about Karasuno's second-years. I love Ennoshita with a passion, so I wrote this for them. Hope you like it!

Chikara stood side-by-side with Kinoshita and Narita, all three bowing deeply towards their senpai. “We’re sorry for the inconvenience.”

Daichi-senpai scratched the back of his head. “I mean, if that’s what you need to do, but why are you telling us and not Coach Ukai?”

All three flinched at the name. The screech of a whistle and the squeak of volleyball shoes against the court signalled the beginning of practice. Sugawara-senpai glanced nervously between the gym and Daichi-senpai.

“Just,” Chikara started, “if you could do us the favor of telling him, we would greatly appreciate it.”

Daichi-senpai’s mouth became a straight line, but he grunted his assent and headed off to practice, something Chikara would never have to worry about again. Asahi-senpai and Sugawara-senpai went to follow him, but Sugawara-senpai stopped before entering the gym.

“Hey,” he called. All three came to attention. “If you go home right now, there’s no denying you’ll be happy...but will you be satisfied?”

The three looked at each other, but seeing as none of them had a solid answer, Sugawara-senpai disappeared to join warm-ups.

Chikara was no stranger to spending hours playing volleyball in middle school. Back then he’d run his heart out like the rest of his teammates and dove for volleyballs like nothing else in the world would please him more than to get it into the air. When he went home, he begged his parents to let him watch his recordings of matches old and new. The MSBY Black Jackals were his favorites.

When he got his acceptance to Karasuno High School, it didn’t occur to him that the hours he once relished would become a nightmare. His body was bruised in three new locations after each practice, he felt constantly dehydrated no matter how many water breaks he took, and he barely had time for homework because he’d pass out for two hour naps the second he returned home. The glossy sheen of the court gave way to the bleak sensation that creeped in before and after school.

The first day was bliss. When he got home, he had more energy than he knew what to do with. When his mother asked him to run to the grocery store to pick up ingredients she’d forgotten for dinner, he was out the door in a few minutes whereas usually it’d take him 30. He didn’t need to watch his recordings anymore to analyze them for new strategies. Coach Ukai wouldn’t care if he did or didn’t now.

The rest of the week was even better. Kinoshita and Narita also regained the light in their eyes that had long since flickered out. After school they decided to drop by the convenience store for meat buns to the surprise of the younger and blonder Ukai-san.

“Is gran-- _Coach Ukai_ doing okay?” Ukai-san asked once.

“Yeah,” Kinoshita replied, his mouth still full. “Why?”

Ukai-san quirked an eyebrow. “Then has he been cancelling practices or letting you guys out early? You guys don’t usually show up before sunset.”

Chikara’s throat constricted the tiniest bit and not because of the meat buns. Ukai-san shrugged and went back to reading his Weekly Shounen Jump without a second glance.

The next week, it started to dawn on Chikara that maybe Sugawara-senpai’s words were more than an offhand comment. 

When teachers asked Chikara to take trips to the second-year corridor, he would duck around corners at the sight of Daichi-senpai, Asahi-senpai, and Sugawara-senpai. They weren’t ones to confront him, but the solemn expressions they showed him when they made eye contact made him feel like he abandoned them.

Traversing his own corridor wasn’t any easier. Where the second and third-years were ignoring the issue like it meant nothing to them, the first-years that remained on the team incessantly nagged his, Kinoshita, and Narita’s ears off.

“Coach isn’t gonna be mad that you--” Chikara gives Tanaka a “don’t bullshit me” look. “Okay. He’s not gonna be _that_ mad at you for leaving. You could just say you needed a break and he’ll let you back in.”

“Yeah!” Nishinoya added. “You might have to do a ton of drills to make up for it, but he’s not _that_ much of a grump.”

Chikara sighed. Every day before class, during lunch, and right after school the chaotic duo would appear in the doorway of his homeroom without fail. They meant well, but being dragged off against his will was starting to get a lot more than just frustrating. It was especially true when a few days prior he’d almost fallen all the way down the stairwell. Instead he landed on his ass and the size of the bruise made it tough to sit still during classes. 

“I’m not going.”

Tanaka and Nishinoya looked to each other and traded some indiscernible conversation with their eyes. They nodded and stared at Chikara in a way that made him physically uncomfortable. 

“What?” he asked, trying to keep irritation out of his voice.

“We can’t tell you what to do, but…” Tanaka trailed off.

“We all really want you guys back.” Nishinoya finished for him. “It’s not the same.”

Chikara focused his attention out the window instead of the two people in front of him. The guilt built up in his throat until he couldn’t stand still anymore. He had to be anywhere but here. Home. Home was a safe place.

“I gotta go.”

He didn’t run, but he might as well have.

When he arrived at his safe haven, he turned to manga to keep him company, reading for hours about underdogs and their plights until his eyes began to droop.

He dreamed of the court and of the first time he dug one of Asahi-senpai’s wicked spikes. His core had been tight, his center of balance low, and his arms extended and reinforced just enough to take anything they could smash at him. His excitement burst forward in the form of the loudest cheer he’d given in a long time.

He woke with a start, the court fading in his eyes, but not in his memory.

He placed his head down on the table, but didn’t let his arm drop from where it had risen in victory while he slumbered. Home wasn’t where he needed to be. All these days of avoiding the one thing he truly loved because it was difficult and strenuous were pathetic excuses. 

Chikara felt he was the weakest link of his teammates-- _someone_ had to be--but if he was going to be the weakest link, then he had to become stronger to bring their lowest higher and higher until they could win each battle they faced. No matter what, he had to go back.

Coach Ukai _did_ give him extra drills. Same with Narita and Kinoshita who entered through the gym door side-by-side. They looked to each other sheepishly and exchanged embarrassed grins. 

They exposed their weakness to everyone, but if they kept up their newfound solidarity, they could fight that weakness together.

  


* * *

  


When Daichi-senpai was forcibly removed from the game against Wakutani South, Chikara had to replace the injured captain. 

He struggled, his movements not functioning correctly.

He didn’t deserve a place on the court when he had abandoned his team in the face of adversity. He was probably _still_ the weakest link. Hinata and Kageyama had their freak quick, Tsukishima towered over everyone else on the team, and even Yamaguchi was developing his jump floater serve at a rapid pace. Chikara couldn’t do anything special or out of the ordinary. Not like them.

_But what use does complaining have out here when everyone needs you?_

The words launch out before he can stop them.

“Bring it!”

  


* * *

  


“I don’t think I’m cut out for this, senpai,” one of the new first-years, Ootori-kun said.

He bowed deeply and even when he straightened up, he wouldn’t meet Chikara’s eyes. He flinched the tiniest bit when Kageyama began criticizing Hinata’s botched receive and then turned his ire on one of the other rookies who wasn’t moving fast enough to account for the mistake.

“I get that the second-years are extreme,” Chikara chuckled. “I used to think the same thing. They’re not easy and the practices are tougher because of it--I only wish I could wrangle them in.” A memory of Daichi-senpai yelling at them to quit fighting so everyone else could practice receiving flashed across his mind.

“But let me tell you something a senpai once said to me that I’ll never forget for the rest of my life. ‘If you go home right now, there’s no denying you’ll be happy...but will you be satisfied?’”

Ootori-kun looked down at the floor and thought for a moment. When he looked back up at Chikara, his features were determined rather than frustrated or even apathetic.

“I love volleyball,” he said.

Chikara smiled. “Me too.”

He gestured for the first year to join everyone in the gym. He followed, lightly jogging. Upon entering he removed his team jacket and tossed it on top of his gym bag in the corner.

“Captain! Can you start stretches?” Ukai-san called.

“Sure thing!” Chikara responded.

**Author's Note:**

>  **Twitter:** [@TeddyKrueger__](https://twitter.com/TeddyKrueger__)


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